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Book. 






O 9 vvW. 'v cv r ' ^ '^A is~'5»W S. 



HIGH SCHOOL ACT 



NINETEEN HUNDRED AND NINE 



Information : : Regulations 
Suggested Courses of Study 



ISSUED BY 

J. E. SWEARINGEN 

STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION 
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA 



\Si>^f' 



\ 



o.O^'^ 






To Communities Desiring High Schools 



s 



Ninety-six State-aided high schools are now in operation in 
> South Carolina. Though these are distributed among thirty-six 

counties, Anderson, Greenville, Orangeburg and Marion are the 
only counties qualifying for the full amount allowed by the High 
School Act. 

The Legislature, at its last session, raised the appropriation to 
$60,000.00, and this increase provides for the establislmnent of at 
least twenty-five additional high schools. 

In no case will the estabhshment of a high school be allowed to 
impair the efficiency of the common school. 

Under the amended Act of 1909, any village with less than four 
hundred population may establish a high school, if fifteen pupils 
are enrolled above the seventh grade. 

Every high school district must levy at least a two-mill tax for 
either high school or common school purposes. 

Special attention is called to Regulation No. 17 relative to high 
school salaries. 

In village and rural schools employing four teachers, one teacher 
will be allowed to divide time between high school and common school 
departments. 

State aid for the school year 1909-1910 will not be granted until 
each school has made application on the form prescribed by the 
State High School Board. 

The amount of State aid will, in each instance, be determined 
partly by enrollment and partly by the character of work done. 
Any school making fourteen units will be given the maximum of 
$700.00 allowed by the High School Law. 

There are four prehminary steps to the establishment of a high 
school — a petition signed by one-third of the freeholders in the 
proposed high school territory, an election ordered by the County 
Board of Education and managed by the common school trustees, 



an application approved by the County Superintendent of Educa- 
tion, and inspection by the State High School Inspector. The 
necessary blanks can be had on request either from this office or 
from the County Superintendent of Education. 

The Board deems it advisable that all high schools shall be at 
least five miles apart. In such localities, transportation of pupils 
is the solution of the high school problem, and has been found to 
be both cheaper and more satisfactory in many communities. 

The high school is the college of the people. It brings better 
educational advantages to every boy and girl in the district. Any 
county may qualify for as much as $3,000.00 under the law, and 
the money is ready for communities that ask it. 
Yours respectfully, 

J. E. SWEARINGEN. 



[4] 



HIGH SCHOOL ACT 



As Amended March 3, 1909. 

Section 1. That it shall be lawful for any common school dis 
trict which does not contain an incorporated town or city of more 
than twenty-five hundred inhabitants, or for any county, or for 
any township, or aggregation of adjoining townships, or aggrega- 
tion of adjoining school districts in which there is no incorporated 
town or city of more than twenty-five hundred inhabitants within 
the State, to establish a high school in the manner and with the 
privileges herein given. 

Sec. 2. That any high school territorial unit mentioned in 
Section 1 of this Act may establish a high school by an election to 
be held in said proposed high school district upon the question of 
establishing the same; said election to be ordered upon the written 
petition of at least one-third of the freeholders within the territory, 
addressed to the County Board of Education ; said election to be 
conducted in all other respects, including the requirements of those 
who are allowed to vote therein, as elections are now conducted 
under Section 1208 of the Civil Code of 1902, in reference to special 
levies for school purposes. If the majority of the votes cast in 
each school district shall be "For High Schools" and not "Against 
High Schools," the high school shall be established and become a 
body corporate under the name and style of High School District 

No. , of County (the State Board to insert 

the number in order of its establishment in the particular county, 
and also the name of the proper county). If a single school dis- 
trict establish a high school, the Board of Trustees of that school 
district shall be the High School Board of Trustees. If any two 
or more school districts establish a high school, the Board of Trus- 
tees in that common school district in which the hiffh school is 
located, together with the chaimtian or chairaien of the other com- 
mon school district or districts within the high school territory, shall 
constitute the High School Board of Trustees : Provided, That 

[5J 



the trustees of any special district in any incorporated town or city 
operating under a special Act of the General Assembly shall be 
trustees of the high school. 

Sec. 3. That the qualified electors and freeholders in any terri- 
tory proposing to become a high school district, or any high school 
district heretofore established, shall be authorized to vote a high 
school tax not exceeding two mills, by the same rules and under the 
same terms as special taxes are now voted under Section 1208 of 
th Civil Code of 1902 : Provided, That any common school district 
within any high school territorial unit may vote itself out of the 
high school unit in the same manner as prescribed for its entrance 
into the high school unit: Provided, That any territorial high 
school unit which has heretofore voted for the establishment of a 
high school therein shall, upon compliance with the provisions of 
this Act, be entitled to the provisions and benefits thereof. 

Sec. 4. That any public high school already established,^ or any 
number of high school grades in a public school already estab- 
lished — provided, it shall be organized and adopted as a high school 
by special election as prescribed in Section 2 of this Act — in any 
high school territory above described, may claim the privilege of 
this Act: Provided, It conforms to the provisions thereof: Pro- 
vided, further. That nothing in tliis Act shall be construed as a 
repeal of any of the privileges granted them in the special Acts of 
the General Assembly. 

Sec. 5. That a high school maintaining a four years' course of 
study beyond the branches of learning prescribed to be taught in 
the common schools of the State, and embracing not fewer than 
seven grades or school years, shall be known as a four-year high 
school ; a high school maintaining a three years' course beyond the 
common school course shall be known as a three-year high school; 
and one maintaining a two years' course beyond the common school 
course shall be known as a two-year high school: Provided, That 
any and all high schools established under authority of this Act 
shall include in the course of study instruction in manual training, 
especially in respect to agriculture and domestic science. 

Sec. 6. The State High School Board shall provide for the 
inspection and classification of high schools under this Act. In 

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Wm 2 190S 

til! .«^C ^\ 



doing this, it may invite the assistance of such members of the 
universities and colleges of this State as they may select, and their 
actual expenses shall be paid out of the fund hereafter appropriated 
from year to year, while actually engaged in the duties devolving 
upon them. 

Sec. 7. That the State Board of Education, as now constituted, 
shall constitute the State High School Board, with full authority to 
prescribe all such regulations as may not be inconsistent with this 
Act. The State High School Board shall provide rules for the 
apportionment and disbursement of the State aid to the high 
schools, giving due recognition to the number of years of the high 
school work, to the number of the courses of study offered, to the 
enrollment of pupils, the amount of industrial or commercial train- 
ing given, and to such other matters of local merit as may appear 
to the Board proper after a careful examination of each high 
school: Provided, That not more than $500.00 may be given to a 
two-year high school, nor more than $600.00 may be given to a 
three-year high school, nor more than $700.00 may be given to a 
four-year high school: Provided, further. That an additional 
$100.00 may be given to a township liigh school or to a high school 
embracing as many as six common school districts : Provided, fur- 
ther. That the Board may give additional aid for industrial and 
commercial courses: Provided, further. That the Board may give 
to any high school levying a special high school tax of not less 
than one mill, twenty-five dollars for each and every common school 
district composing that high school unit : Provided, further. That 
no high school shall receive aid unless it has at least twenty-five high 
school pupils and two teachers in the high school department : Pro- 
vided, further, That the Board may give aid to a rural high school 
or a village high school with but fifteen high school pupils and one 
high school teacher, such village to contain not exceeding four 
hundred inhabitants : Provided, further. That no aid shall be given 
any high school unless the district or districts composing the high 
school territory are levying or shall levy as much as two mills 
special school tax, which may be levied as either a common school 
or a high school tax: Provided, further. That no county shall 
receive more than five per cent, of the annual appropriation pro- 
vided for under tliis Act. 

[71 



Sec. 8. The funds raised in the various counties by taxation, 
subscription, or otherwise, for high school purposes shall be placed 
in the county treasury, together with any appropriation received 
from the State Board of Education, and shall be paid out only upon 
the order of the Board of High School Trustees, duly approved by 
the County Superintendent of Education. Both the Treasurer and 
the County Superintendent of Education shall keep accurate 
accounts of this fund, as is provided for other pubHc school funds. 

Sec. 9. That each of the high school districts so established is 
hereby authorized to receive and use gifts, transfers, bequests or 
devises of property for corporate purposes, whether they be other- 
wise conditional, or whether absolute in their terms ; and also to 
issue coupon bonds within the constitutional limit and to dispose of 
the same to raise money for the purpose of purchasing sites and 
the erection of buildings thereon, or for the purpose of purchasing 
improved property, suitable for school, or dormitory, or mess-hall 
purposes: Provided, That the question of amount of issue, and 
the rate of interest, and the time or times of payment of the prin- 
cipal, shall first be submitted to the qualified electors within the 
said high school district who return real or personal property for 
taxation, at an election toi be held in the same manner as elections 
for special levies for school district purposes are now required to be 
submitted under said Section 1208 of said Code: Provided, That 
a petition for such election be first addressed to the Board of Trus- 
tees of said school district signed by a majority of the freeholders 
therein: And, provided, further. That an annual interest on said 
issue shall not exceed six per cent., and that the sale shall not be 
for less than par and accrued interest. 

Sec. 10. That the sum of sixty thousand dollars ($60,000.00), or 
so much thereof as may be necessary, for each of the school years, 
beginning July 1, 1907, be, and the same is hereby, appropriated 
to carry out the provisions of this Act, and the Comptroller-General 
is hereby authorized to draw warrants upon the State Treasurer 
for such amounts, upon the order of the State Board of Education, 
duly signed by the Governor, as Chairman, and the State Superin- 
tendent, as Secretary : Provided, That every high school receiving 
aid under this Act shall enroll any high school pupil in the county 
where the school is located free of tuition : Provided, further. That 

[8] 



nothing in this Act shall be construed to mean that pupils of differ- 
ent races shall attend the same schools. 

Sec. 11. This Act shall in no wise interfere with the high schools 
already established until July 1, 1911, when all aid to high schools 
not coming within the provisions of the High School Act of 1908 
shall be withdrawn. 

Approved 3d day of March, A. D. 1909. 



[9] 



HIGH SCHOOL REGULATIONS 



1. The application for State aid to a high school must be sub- 
mitted to the Secretary of the State High School Board, through 
the County Superintendent of Education ; applications, in order to 
receive consideration, must be filed prior to September 1st of each 
year. 

2. After the appHcation has been received, an inspection and 
examination shall be made of each school and the conditions of each 
high school district by a high school inspector. If such inspector 
makes a favorable report, the school may be received by the Chair- 
man and Secretary of the High School Board, subject to the 
approval of the said Board, and the aid shall then be disbursed as 
provided in the High School Law and regulations of the State High 
School Board. 

3. The high school inspector, or inspectors, shall also make an 
annual inspection of each school, and any school may be dropped 
from the list of those receiving State aid whenever such school falls 
below the requirements of the High School Law and regulations of 
the State High School Board ; State aid may be withheld from any 
high school whenever it becomes evident to the said Board that the 
teaching in said school is inefficient. The local High School Board 
shall receive at least two months' notice before the withdrawal 
of aid. 

4. For a high school to receive State aid there must be at least 
two teachers devoting all their time to high school teaching: Pro- 
vided, That if a high school has in it but two teachers, one of whom 
is the supervising principal of the common school department four 
hours a day, actual teaching in the high school department by him 
shall be accepted as full time, but he shall do no regular teaching 
below the high school. 

5. Section 7 of the High School Law provides for aid to be given 
a rural high school or a village high school with fifteen high school 
pupils and one high school teacher. 

[10] 



6. No aid shall be given to a one-teacher high school unless the 
common school department has in it at least two teachers giving 
full time to teaching in the common school department. A two- 
teacher high school must have at least three teachers giving full 
time to teaching in the common school department. 

7. No aid shall be given a high school unless all the teachers in 
that department hold first grade certificates for teaching. The 
teachers in the common school department must have certificates. 
The employment of any teacher without a certificate forfeits the 
school's right to State aid. 

8. High schools receiving aid shall continue in session at least 
thirty-two weeks in each scholastic year. 

9. No high school recitation periods of less time than thirty 
minutes will be accepted: Provided, That a recitation pei*iod in a 
one-teacher high school may be as short as twenty minutes. 

10. Nothing less than the course of study adopted by the State 
Board of Education for high schools, or its equivalent, will be 
accepted as high school work. The high school course of study 
issued by the State Board of Education may be used without follow- 
ing the order as laid down in that course. 

11. State aid will not be given toward making permanent 
improvements, such as buildings, seats, heating and other equip- 
ment. 

12. State aid will be given to a high school only when such aid 
goes toward increasing the efficiency of the school beyond what it 
was immediately previous to receiving the first appropriation. No 
aid will be given to a high school if such aid be used to decrease the 
amount of local support to the high school department. Improve- 
ments, such as increase in the teaching time given in the high school, 
additional courses of study, lengthening the course of study and 
increase in the high school salaries, will count as increased efficiency. 

13. No aid will be given any high school unless said high school 
is taught in a safe and comfortable building. 

14. No appropriation to any high school shall be paid until the 
school has been reported on favorably by an inspector. 

15. Except for extraordinary reasons, no two high schools shall 
be established less than five miles apart. 

[11] 



16. When the high schools in any county shall have qualified for 
the maximum appropriation for that county ($3,000.00) no addi- 
tional schools shall be accepted for that year. 

17. Appropriations for the scholastic year 1909-1910 shall be 
as follows : 

To a one-teacher high school, one-half the salary of the high 
school teacher, up to $300.00 on the part of the State. 

To a high school with the full time of one high school teacher and 
part time of a second high school teacher, one-half of the salary of 
the full teacher, up to $300.00 on the part of the State ; and the 
same for the second teacher, pro rata according to teaching time in 
the high school and the salary paid. 

To a two^teacher high school, the full salary of the lower salaried 
high school teacher, up to $55.00 per month on the part of the 
State. 

To a high school of three teachers or more, the full salary of the 
lowest salaried high school teacher, up to $55.00 per month on the 
part of the State. One hundred dollars additional will be given to 
such high school as receives a credit of 12 standard units ; and a 
second one hundred dollars additional to such high school as 
receives a credit of 14 standard units: Provided, The highest grade 
shall have as many as three regular pupils. 

18. The State Board accepts each high school on the showing 
made by it in its application for State aid. Wherever any school 
fails to meet the conditions set forth in its application, the State 
Board will scale the appropriation in proportion to the school's 
failure. 



[12] 



HIGH SCHOOL COURSES OF STUDY 



1. The course of study is the basis of the work of a school. It 
may be weak or strong, organized or unorganized, articulated or 
disjointed. It is the first test of its builder as an educator and of 
the merit of his school. 

2. The course of study is for the benefit of the pupils. It should 
be adjusted to three classes of pupils — the average pupil, the less 
gifted pupil, and the more gifted one. The average pupil should 
be given a regular course, the less gifted pupil should omit some 
subjects without destroying the unity of his work, and the more 
gifted one permitted to take some additional subject. 

3. The quantity of work offered in any school must be deter- 
mined by the size of the teaching force. A teacher can do so much 
work — no more. It is folly to undertake the impossible or the 
unreasonable. For one teacher to essay to teach a full three-year 
high school course marks him as lacking in judgment and knowl- 
edge of his work. It can be mathematically demonstrated that two 
teachers cannot teach a full four-year high school course. 

4. Every high school with as many as three teachers should offer 
at least two regular parallel courses of equal value. In most of 
the subjects the work would be identical. 

5. A high school recitation cannot be handled properly in less 
than forty minutes, even with small classes. Forty-five minutes is 
ideal. 

6. The average high school pupil should not be given more than 
five daily recitations. To give each pupil five subjects is far better 
than to dissipate the time and efforts of teacher and pupil on seven 
subjects. 

7. Three mistakes are to be avoided: (1) Putting grammar 
school pupils and grammar school subjects in the high school; 
(2) Giving high school pupils subjects too advanced for their age 
or their preparation ; (3) Trying to put into one course studies 
covering the whole range of high school subjects. 

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8. The following courses are offered as suggestive. They are 
not ideal. They have been constructed with present high school 
conditions constantly in mind, and any one may be adopted without 
doing violence to the courses already in use : 

COURSE No. I. 

(Thirty-minute periods; 50 periods a week, or 5 hours a day 
exclusive of recesses ; 1 teacher required.) 

First Year. Periods. 

Arithmetic 5 

Algebra 5 

EngHsh — Grammar 3 times ; Literature 2 times 5 

History — Greece and Rome 5 

Latin (optional) 5 

25 

Second Year. 

English — Grammar 2 times ; Literature 3 times 5 

Algebra 5 

History — ^American and Civics 5 

Physiography 5 

Latin (optional) 5 

25 
COURSE No. H. 

(Forty-minute periods ; 67 periods a week ; 7 recitations a day 
each teacher; 2 teachers required — 3 vacant periods a week.) 

First Year. Periods. 

Arithmetic 5 

Algebra 5 

English — Grammar 3 times ; Literature 2 times 5 

History — Greece and Rome 4 

Latin (optional) 4 



[141 



Second Year. Periods. 

English — Grammar 2 times ; Literature 3 times 5 

History — English 4 

Physiography 4 

Algebra 5 

Latin (optional) 4 

Third Year. 

English — Comp. & Rhet. 3 times* ; Literature 2 times 5 

History — American and Civics 4 

Geometry — Plane 5 

Physics 4 

Latin (optional) 4 



COURSE No. HI. 

(Forty-minute periods ; 72 periods a week ; 7 recitations a day 
each teacher; 2 teachers full time and 2 periods a week by third 
teacher required.) 

First Year. Periods. 

Arithmetic 5 

Algebra 5 

English — Grammar 3 times ; Literature 2 times 5 

History — Greece and Rome 4 

Latin (optional) 5 

24 



*Composition should be taught regularly in class in connection with 
Literature in each year of any course. 

[15] 



Second Year. Periods. 

Algebra 3 

Geometry — Plane 2 

History — English 4 

English — G-rammar 2 times ; Literature 3 times 5 

Physiography 5 

Latin (optional) 5 

24 

Third Year. 

English — Comp. & Rhet. 3 times ; Literature 2 times 5 

History — American and Civics 5 

Algebra 2 

Geometry — Plane 3 

Physics 4 

Latin (optional) 5 

M 

With 45-minute periods, 2 teachers full time and 12 periods a 
week by third teacher required ; 6 recitations a day each teacher. 

COURSE No. IV. 

(Forty-minute periods ; 88 periods a week ; 2 teachers full time 
and 18 periods a week by third teacher required.) 

First Year. Periods. 

Arithmetic 5 

Algebra 5 

English — Grammar 3 times ; Literature 2 times 5 

History — Greece and Rome 4 

Latin, or Botany 1-2 year and Physiology 1-2 year. . 5 

24 

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Second Year. Periods. 

Algebra 5 

English — Grammar 2 times ; Literature 3 times 5 

History — English 4 

Physiography 5 

Latin, or French 5 

M 
Third Year. 

English — Comp. & Rhet. 3 times ; Literature 2 times 5 

History — American and Civics 5 

Geometry — Plane 5 

Physics 5 

Latin, or French 5 

25 

With 45-minute periods 3 teachers full time required — 2 vacant 
periods a week. 

COURSE No. V. 

(Forty-minute periods; 101 periods a week; 3 teachers full 
time — 4 vacant periods a week.) 

First Year. Periods. 

Arithmetic 5 

Algebra 5 

English — Grammar 3 times ; Literature 2 times 5 

History — Greece and Rome 4 

Latin (optional) 5 

24 



[17] 



Second Year. Periods. 

Algebra 5 

English — Grammar 2 times ; Literature 3 times 5 

History — Medieval and Modern 4 

Physiography 5 

Latin (optional) 5 

24 
Third Year. 

English — Comp. k Rhet. 3 times ; Literature 2 times 5 

History — ^English 4 

Geometry — Plane 5 

Physics 5 

Latin (optional) 5 

24 
Fourth Year. 

Enghsh — Literature 4 ; Advanced Grammar 1 5 

History — American and Civics 5 

Geometry 2 ; Drawing 2 4 

Latin (optional) 5 

Greek, or French. 5 

24 

With 45-minute periods, 3 teachers full time and 11 periods a 
week by fourth teacher required. 

This course can be further enriched by putting Physiology (3 
periods) parallel to Latin in the first year, Botany parallel to 
Latin in the second year, and French parallel to Latin in the third 
year. This would increase the periods to 114 a week; 4 teachers 
required — 6 vacant periods a week. 



[18] 



COURSE No. VI. 



Classical, 



Science. 



Commercial. 



I. I. I. 

Arithmetic 3 Arithmetic 3 Arithmetic 3 

Algebra 5 Algebra 5 Algebra 5 

Eng.— Gram. 3; Lit. 2 5 Eng.— Gram. 3; Lit. 2 5 Eng.— Gram. 3; Lit. 2 5 

History — Gr. & Rome 4 History — Gr. & Rome 4 History — Gr. & Rome 4 

Latin 5 Physiology ^ Botany. 5 Physiology ^ Botany. 5 

23 22 22 

II. n. 11. 

Arithmetic 2 Arithmetic 2 Commercial Arith.... 5 

Algebra 5 Algebra 5 Algebra 5 

Eng.— Gram. 2; Lit. 3 5 Eng.— Gram. 2; Lit. 3 5 Eng.— Gram. 2; Lit. 3 5 

History— Med. & Mod. 4 History — Med. & Mod. 4 History— Med. & Mod. 4 

Latin 5 Physiography 5 Stenog. or Typeiorit'g 2 



III. 
Eng.— C. & R. 3; L. 
History— English .. 
Geometry— Plane . . 



21 

5 

4 
5 



III. 
Eng.— C. & R. 3; L. 2 

History — English 

Geometry — Plane .... 



21 

5 
4 
5 



Latin 5 Physics 5 

Greek 4 Agri. 2; Drawing 2... 4 



HI. 

Eng.— C. & R. 3; L. 2 
Histoiy — English .... 
Geometry — Plane .... 
Com,. Og. ^ Com,. Law 
Stenog. ^ Typewrit'g 



23 



IV. 



23 
IV. 
Eng.— L. 4; Ad. Gr. 1 5 
History — Am. & Civ.. 5 



Eng.— L. 4; Ad. Gr. 1 5 

History — Am. & Civ.. 5 

Latin 5 Chemistry 5 

4 
3 



Greek 4 

Higher Alg. & Geom. 3 

22 



Agri. 2; Drawing 
Higher Alg. & Geom. 



21 

5 
4 
5 
5 
4 

23 

IV. 
Eng.— L. 4; Ad. Gr. 1 5 
History — Am. & Civ.. 5 
Stenog. ^ Typewrit'g 4 
Bookkeeping 10 



24 



With 45-minute periods, each teacher can teach 30 periods a 
week. The Classical course aggregates 88 periods a week ; the 
Science course, 88 periods ; the Commercial course, 90 periods. 
Therefore, three teachers can teach any one of these courses. The 
Classical and Science courses aggregate 114 separate periods ; four 
teachers can teach the two. The three courses aggregate 144 
separate periods ; five teachers can teach all three. 



[19] 



